Do any GMs have common sense?

by slitheringslider on Nov 22, 2006 3:01 PM EST Comment 9 comments

Although it is becoming increasingly difficult to find bargains in free agency these days, it doesn't mean Juan Pierre deserves $45mil/5yrs. Seriously, what has the world come to. Looking back at the offseason thus far, which contract do you think is the worst deal?

All in all, I think Catalanotto at $13mil/3yrs might end up being the biggest bargain of the winter.

Poll

Which of the following has been the worst use of money thus far this offseason?

Juan Pierre @ $45mil/5yrs

12 votes

Gary Matthews Jr @ $50mil/5yrs

17 votes

Alex Gonzalez @ $14mil/3yrs

1 votes

Jamie Walker @ $12mil/3yrs

1 votes

Carlos Lee @ $100mil/6yrs

6 votes

Danys Baez @ $19mil/3yrs

2 votes

Other (please be specific)

0 votes

Alfonso Soriano @ $136mil/8yrs

7 votes

$51.1mil to talk to Diasuke Matsuzaka

5 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 9 comments

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Comments

Add Carlos Lee

6 year $100/million deal with a full no-trade clause for the first 4 years...sheesh, the madness continues.

by simbaa on Nov 24, 2006 11:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Barajas

His contract is going to be a bargain compared to these other ones.

Anything in the single-digits millions is.

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by Fake Teams on Nov 27, 2006 10:52 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I have added a couple more options to the poll

The Carlos Lee contract is bad, but I don't think it is as bad as some others, at least he is a legit hitter.

Danys Baez's contract on the other hand boggles my mind, considering Justin Speier is better and his contract is cheaper. Does the 4 year age difference and the empty save numbers really matters that much. I am sure Justin Speier could've saved 41 games in Tampa Bay, maybe even more. Kudos to his agent for getting him this contract

by slitheringslider on Nov 27, 2006 11:10 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Gil Meche

I wonder if the Meche deal would take the cake. It'd be tough to top that Matthews, Jr. deal though, haha. Remember when he was almost out of baseball a few seasons ago? Yikes.

by mark w on Dec 8, 2006 3:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Matthews

His deal is tied with Pierre's for being the worst deal in baseball this offseason. At least Meche have "upside". Whatever that means

by slitheringslider on Dec 9, 2006 7:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

true

at least those two will play every day (though perhaps only slightly above replacement level). Baez could end up pitching 50 innings of 4.00 ERA for the O's and they will be stuck with 2 more years of him! Walker won't even throw that many. I think it is ridiculous to sign any reliever to more than a two-year deal unless it is a special talent (I was fine with the Ryan signing) just coming into their own. The Orioles do almost nothing that well-run baseball teams do.

I know the Baez and Walker deals don't look as bad as Pierre and Matthews just because it's not as much money, but put it together - you've got 3 years and $31 million for Danys Baez and Jamie Walker. Can you imagine?

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on Dec 10, 2006 9:15 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Personally

I would rather gamble on Meche than give huge contracts to Pierre and Matthews, and much rather give meche $11mil a season than Baez+Walker $10+mil a year. I am not saying Meche's contract is any good, but projectability is worth something. Pierre and Matthew's careers have no where to go but down, but Meche, at 28, still has a chance to realize his potential and be that top-notch starter that he is capable of being. If I am going to spend that much on anything, it is not going to be average.

What scares me about the Pierre and Matthews contract is, what is someone like Reed Johnson going to make in FA? Johnson arguably had a better season than Matthews last season, would he make $10mil in the FA market if he is a FA? Matthews and Johnson are useful players, but cannot carry a team on their back.

by slitheringslider on Dec 10, 2006 6:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re:

At least Pierre will offer some defensive value in center field, a position high on the defensive spectrum. That doesn't justify his signing, of course, but it gives him a leg up on the Marquis and Meches of the world.

The comparisons of Meche to Schmidt seem foolhearty, especially since Meche's underlying stats are awful away from Safeco. Carpenter and Schmidt didn't start making money until they turned it around, which makes it hard to believe that Meche is being paid $11 million per season before proving a thing. I think he has more of a chance of being DFA'd than anything.

Along with pitchers, it seems like corner outfielders are being overpaid quite a bit. Someone like Carlos Lee offers a lot less than most would expect. Not only does he play a relatively unimportant defensive position, but he doesn't play it all that well. In turn, though, he doesn't really make up for it with his bat, as he's good but not great offensively, at least relative to those at his position. Throw in the fact that he's supposedly a dreadful baserunner (stolen base totals aside) whose poor conditioning is bound to catch up to him if it hasn't already. He also prevented the Astros from spending the extra $2 million necessary to keep Andy Pettitte, likely leading to Roger Clemens' departure as well. Wow....what a dreadful signing.

by mark w on Dec 10, 2006 1:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

definitely

there is significant value in a centerfielder who is respectable with the bat and fields center at an above-average level. it is just not worth $50 mil.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on Dec 10, 2006 6:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs